Vente aux encheres / public auctions

As an antiquarian bookseller in England I frequently went to auctions which were great fun. Here in France an auction is called a ' vente aux encheres ' One auction house we have used here is Primodeco in Toulouse. www.primodeco.com The auctions are a bit different to those in England in that if you bid a winning amount on an object, you need to give a signed cheque straight away and the article is given to you at that point. Everything is very fast and a bit confusing so it is worth visiting one first before plunging in. From time to time there are auctions at Montauban, but Toulouse is the place for quality. If you take something to sell you may have to wait for a few months till the auctioneer decides which sale he wants to enter the item in. Then expect another wait for the money. From start to finish 6 months is not unheard of. Near some of the auction houses in Toulouse which tend to cluster round the Place St. George are also a little cluster of 'depot ventes' or 'fripperies' These are a bit more up market than the ones round about here and are sometimes worth a browse.